Chance Occurences
by maidenolivia
Summary: An alternate story to the one we know.
1. Default Chapter

_Disclaimer: I did not create these characters; they belong to one J. Rowling._

Chance Occurrences

By Olivia

Chapter One: Alternate Beginning

There wasn't a sound – not a squeak of a chair or a drop of a hat. Deafeningly silent – so silent that when the doors opened to the vast room, the usually silent pitter-patter of children's feet came out in deafening booms. With each click of a heel against stone the sound only grew more deafening.

The children clustered together at the foot of a staircase, a child amongst them separating from their group one by one. One small brunette made her way slowly up the never-ending staircase, her footsteps radiating throughout the hall. She took a deep breath, praying she wouldn't trip over her long robes. It seemed forever before she had seated herself on the high stool, that just a few minutes earlier had been standing empty before her, and seemed even longer before an old hat had been placed most carefully atop her shimmering locks. She felt the hat squeeze her head and mumble a few words inaudible to the girl because of the intense pounding in her head. She heard a far off voice mumble something that sounded very much like slither – but she couldn't be sure, as soon after the entire room had erupted into applause, taking her out of her daze and reassuring her that it was now safe to stand up.

She turned to face a rather shrewd looking woman. This woman smiled down at the girl as nicely as her tight stern face would permit her. She pointed a long wrinkly finger at a long table on the right-most side of the enormous room.

"You'll find your house is seated there," said the woman, a strict tone apparent in her voice.

The young girl made her way over to the table indicated to her by the older woman. She carefully seated herself down and received a few nods made in her direction by the other students present at the table. A boy of about fourteen on her right turned to her and shook her hand saying, "Welcome to Slytherin Miss Granger." 

A/N: I know this isn't much that I've written, but I had it locked up for awhile and needed to blurt it out onto paper. Enjoy. 


	2. Potions

_Disclaimer: I did not create these characters; they belong to one J. Rowling._

Chance Occurrences

By Olivia

Chapter Two: Potions

The first week for Miss Hermione Granger at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry whizzed by as if it had only been a figment of her imagination. So much information had been held out to her for her greedy brain to grasp onto – new chemicals, customs, new worlds, history, theories, and the list only went on. Friday eventually came, and with it her first Potions class with her Head of House. She had been wondering how her Professor would react to his House being taught under him, as so far all the other Professors, (save the strict looking woman whom she had come to know was Professor McGonagall), had all been extremely nice and generous when it came to points with their own houses. 

After a filling breakfast that sunny Friday morning with fellow Slytherins Pansy, Draco, Vincent, and Gregory, Hermione headed down to the dungeons for Double Potions with the Gryffindors. Once there she seated herself next to Pansy and eagerly awaited for the lesson to start. Hermione looked up when she heard her Professor clear his throat and started calling out roll call. Snape was quite different from any of the other teachers she had had so far. For one thing, he was a great deal younger than any of the other teachers (most of them seemed to be well over 50), and had a dark intimidating air about him. Professor McGonagall was intimidating as well, don't get her wrong, but she thought that Professor Snape seemed to be so much less uptight than McGonagall, especially with his long black wispy hair. She proudly stated "present" when her name had been called by her Professor, and waited for the rest of the roll to be taken. Professor Snape stopped midway through however, when he reached one Harry Potter's name. She watched his mouth twitch as he dangerously said, "Ah, yes. Harry Potter. Our new – celebrity." Draco, Vincent and Gregory immediately started sniggering. She shot them an angry glance but then turned back to Professor Snape when he started to continue. How could they be so inconsiderate to giggle while their Professor was talking?

"You are here to learn the subtle and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads I usually have to teach." 

Hermione knew she wasn't a dunderhead, and smiled smugly to herself. She snapped out of it as Snape started poking at Harry Potter, trying to make him squeal. 

"Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Oh I know that! Hermione immediately shot her hand up in the air, hoping he might notice. But his dark eyes bore into Potter. 

"I don't know, sir," replied the young boy with tousled hair and a lightning scar on his forehead from the other side of room. 

"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything," said a very intimidating Professor Snape. He abruptly turned around to face the Slytherin side of the classroom. 

"Miss Granger, perhaps you can set Potter straight."

"If you were to add powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood it would make a sleeping potion known as Draught of Living Death because of its powerful capabilities," beamed Hermione, reciting the sentence as if she were reading it from a book.

"Well done, Miss Granger, one point for Slytherin," Snape then turned back to face Potter. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Again Hermione shot up her hand.

"I don't know, sir," said the young boy again, looking a bit downcast.

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter? At least try and pay attention when Miss Granger answers your questions for you."

Again her turned to face Hermione.

"And where might I find a bezoar, Miss Granger?" 

"From a stomach of a goat Professor," replied Hermione.

"Well done again, Miss Granger, I believe another point shall be rewarded to Slytherin for your knowledge."

Hermione smiled to herself at this. And yet again, Professor Snape stared menacingly at Potter.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Potter looked towards his red-haired friend and then quietly replied, "I don't know."

Hermione hadn't put her hand up, even though she knew the answer she didn't feel like showing off too much.

Professor Snape thought otherwise of his bright pupil, and without turning to look at her, called out, "Miss Granger, the answer?"

Hermione cleared her throat softly. "Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, Professor."

"Another point for Slytherin," replied Professor Snape, only just taking his eyes off of Harry Potter. Snape turned to the front of the room and made his way back up to his desk, his robes billowing behind him. He turned around to face the room again, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

Most of the Slytherins sniggered at this, and a couple of them patted Hermione on the back. Even though she had won the respect of the —supposedly— toughest teacher there was at Hogwarts, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for that Potter boy, even though he should have brushed up on his studies before he dared show up for his classes…

_A/N: A lot of the dialogue was taken directly from J. Rowling's _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_. Thank you for the reviews, I didn't expect to get any so soon, I really appreciate it. I don't believe another chapter will be coming up any time soon, I just needed to get this out of my head so that I could focus on other things. I will continue it, however, it's nowhere near finished, but just be forewarned. _


End file.
